Boston makes an excellent starting point for any tour of New England.
Take a ferry from the harbor in the summer or one of several daily Cape Air flights from Logan year-round to Provincetown also known as P-town to see some of the best entertainment and fun on Cape Cod.
Take a ferry from June to October 31st and visit the World Wide Capitol of Haloween in the Historic Sea Port of Salem Massachusetts. The Salem Ferry is a 92 Foot High Speed Catermaran that travels at 32 knots. The MBTA offers train service from Boston´s North Station 12 Months a Year along with bus service from Haymarket.
Also on Cape Cod, Hyannis offers great beaches during the summer and plenty of food and nightlife year round, and is also the departure point for ferries to Nantucket. About a 90 minute drive each way, although plan extra time to account for bridge traffic on summer weekends. Hourly bus service is available 6am-Midnight from South Station to Hyannis on Plymouth & Brockton.
Drive south or take the $7.75 commuter rail Providence/ Stoughton Line (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU) or $17 express Amtrak to Providence, Rhode Island, which is home to its own share of art and culture, excellent Italian food, and a charming downtown area.
A popular road trip is "Boston to the Bronx". The Drive is approximately 3.5 hours along US-20 or I-95. Minimum suggested time for the return trip is 2 days.
New York City can also be reached by frequent bus service from South Station on Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus, Lucky Star, and Fung Wah. Walkup fares usually $15-$25 each way, less if you book a week or two in advance or take one of the Chinatown lines Lucky Star or Fung Wah. Amtrak's North East Corridor also serves New York, but expect to pay $60-$100 each way, more if you take the high speed Acela Express.
Drive south to Falmouth and Woods Hole and take the ferry to either Martha's Vineyard for a peaceful, scenic time on this small, charming island.
Also take a road trip to the North Shore, New Hampshire Seacoast and Southern Maine. All are easily accessible by car, and less than a 90 minute drive without the awful Cape Cod traffic in the summer months. Many destinations along the North Shore, including Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea are reachable by the Rockport commuter rail (http://www.mbta.com/sched...)
Drive northwest on Route 2 or take the Fitchburg commuter rail (http://www.mbta.com/sched...) to historic Concord, where you can visit Minuteman National Historic Park, the site of the battles of Concord and Lexington; the homes of the authors Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorn, or Louisa May Alcott; or Walden Pond, made famous by Henry David Thoreau in his book "Walden; or, Life in the Woods".
Take a day trip north to the town of Salem, the home of the infamous Salem witch trials.
Wrentham Village premium outlets.
While not in Boston, a shopping trip to Boston by an international tourist is not complete without a visit to Wrentham Village. Its location off I-495, exit 15 makes it under an hour from Boston and most hotels will arrange transport. Wrenthamâs stores range from the finest designer fashions and jewelry to home furnishings, housewares and electronics. You'll find all the big brands such as Hugo Boss, Adidas, Nike, DKNY, Burberry, Gap, Guess, Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Leviâs, Liz Claiborne, Swarovski, Royal Doulton, Calvin Klein, Benetton, Waterford Crystal, Williams-Sonoma and much much more.